


A Box In Time

by emeraldEagle



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game), Calvin & Hobbes
Genre: Crossover, Mustache Girl has an actual name, On Hiatus, ongoing fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16593077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldEagle/pseuds/emeraldEagle
Summary: When Calvin creates a new machine from the cardboard box, he and Hobbes find themselves trapped on Earth, but not as they know it.CURRENTLY ON INDEFINITE HIATUS





	1. The Portalizer

On a nondescript day in a nondescript house, a boy and a tiger are relaxing in their very descript room. Comic books, clothes, bits and bobs, nuts and bolts, basically anything you could think of was lying around somewhere in this room. One object of note, however, was a single cardboard box sitting at the foot of the bed. This box had seen much use during its time under the ownership of Calvin and Hobbes, the boy and the tiger respectively. It had been a time machine, a duplicator, a transmogrifier, a secret hideout, but today it would be something it had never been before.

But not just yet. In due time it will reach this new, unseen form, but for now it is simply a cardboard box with Calvin fiddling around inside of it. He had been at this for several hours, and Hobbes was becoming increasingly worried the more time passed. No good had ever come from the usage of that box, no matter what machine it was at the time. The tiger regarded it with utmost caution, and silently wondered what could possibly be taking this long to modify it to suit its new purpose.

“All done!”

Well, he would soon find out, much to his disdain, as Calvin had finally finished his work.

“Come here, Hobbes!”  
“No.”  
“Oh, come o- “  
“No.”  
“It’s not gonna duplicate or transmogrify you or anything!”  
“I don’t care. That box could literally cure cancer forever and you’d still find a way to turn it into the worst thing since poachers.”  
“Hobbes. It’s fine, nothing is going to go wrong. When have I ever led you astray on that?”  
“Many times. Would you like a list?”  
“Fine, be that way! I can test the portal without you!”

Hobbes considers this for a few moments.

“Okay, I’ll bite.”

He puts down the comic he was reading and hops off the bed, making his way to the box. Said box is currently sitting on its side, but not the long side, as that would make it a duplicator. Instead, the box is seated on one of its two small sides, so that it is vertical. On the topmost flap, the word “PORTALIZER” is written in large, black letters.

Hobbes stares at the newly dubbed machine for a second before asking “What is this or do I not want to know?”

“This, Hobbes, is the Portalizer! It creates a space-time rift inside of it which can be used to travel anywhere!”  
“Okay, but where though?”  
“As I said, anywhere!”  
“Yes, but how do you know where it’ll take you?”  
“Well, I need to test it first to know that.”

Hobbes was liking this less and less by the second.

“Let me reiterate: do you or do you not know what will happen when you turn this thing on?”  
“It’ll open a portal, silly. What else would- “  
“Yes, but WHERE will the portal take you when you step through?”  
“I don’t know! That’s why I need to test it!”  
“So what you mean to tell me is that you could step through that portal and right into the Sun?!”  
“Of course not, I’m not stupid!”  
“That’s debatable.”  
“I installed an Earthicator into the Portalizer so that it’ll only take us- “  
“You.”  
“US to Earth-like places! We won’t get sucked into a black hole or anything!”  
“I remain unconvinced of the safety of this device.”  
“Well what WILL convince you, then?”

Before Hobbes can respond, Calvin puts up a hand.

“Wait, no, don’t answer that. I know just what to do.”

Calvin turns to the Portalizer and pushes a big red button on one of the side flaps. The box starts to emit a soft hum, and inside it, the very fabric of reality begins to rip apart. Slowly, a swirl of countless colors forms and grows, until eventually it reaches the edges of the box and stops. The swirl begins to spin faster and faster, until eventually the colors all blend into white. Suddenly, a bright light flashes from the swirl, and Calvin and Hobbes instinctively jerk away.

A few seconds pass.

“Is it done?”  
“I think so.”

Slowly, the pair turn back to the Portalizer, and see something incredible.

“Wow…”  
“What…?”

The swirl had become transparent, and through it the two saw an enormous island, covered in buildings with a huge geyser erupting from the center. Just ahead they could see docks and boats, with large, burly men going about their business on each. And directly in front of the portal was a sign, which in large, red words said "MAFIA TOWN"

It was a long while before one of them spoke up.

“Calvin…”  
“Yeah?”  
“There’s no such thing as “Mafia Town” …”  
“Yeah…”  
“…”  
“…”  
“…uh…”  
“Hobbes, I think I know what this is.”  
“Oh joy.”

Calvin assumes a thoughtful pose.

“Mafia Town isn’t a real place, so obviously the portal opened on another world than ours.”

He begins to pace back and forth.

“And due to the Earthicator, the world must be Earth-like.”

He speeds up.

“But this world has humans on it, which is highly unlikely, unless…”

He stops abruptly and turns, wide-eyed, to Hobbes.

“Hobbes, I’m a genius!”  
“Oh no.”  
“It’s obvious! A world similar to Earth, but has a place that doesn’t exist on our Earth…”

He turns to the Portalizer and points at it dramatically.

“Hobbes, this is a portal to a PARALLEL UNIVERSE!”

Hobbes raises a finger and starts to protest but decides against it. Once Calvin believes he has something figured out, he will simply not budge on it out of a stubborn unwillingness to be wrong.

“Okay, let’s say you’re right. What now?”  
“What now? WHAT NOW?!

Calvin leans in close to Hobbes’ face.

“Now we have to explore this new world! Uncover its secrets and go where no man has ever gone before!”  
“But there are obviously already people there- “

Before Hobbes can point out the obvious, Calvin has already dashed out of the room, grabbing a backpack on his way out.

“Oh dear.”

Making his way downstairs, Calvin exits the house and enters the backyard, where he climbs the lone tree in it to reach the G.R.O.S.S. clubhouse. There, he grabs some supplies and stuffs them in his backpack, then descends back to the ground and re-enters the house. Before he can get back upstairs however, he is stopped by his Mom.

“Now where are you going in such a rush?”  
“Mom, I don’t have time for this! I have to go explore a parallel universe!”

Most parents would be rather confused by this statement and send their kid to go play outside to burn off a bit of energy. Most parents are not Calvin’s Mom, who is used to bizarre stuff like this.

“Mm, I see. Well, don’t make too much of a mess while your there, and give my counterpart my regards.”  
“Okayigottagobyemom!”  
“Be back by dinner!”

Mom doesn’t actually believe that Calvin's going to a parallel universe, but she does not want to deal with his crap today, so she lets him go.

Returning to his room, Calvin runs around grabbing various items and stuffing them into his backpack. When he’s done, he places the backpack on the bed and takes inventory of what he’s gathered thus far.

“Spare apples, comic books, the Transmogrifier Gun, coloring books, my Stupendous Man cowl and cape, my Spaceman Spiff goggles, my Tracer Bullet fedora, spare clothes, your scarf, an empty journal, empty water balloons, the Calvinball, two domino masks, my beanie hat, miscellaneous candy, sharpened pencils, ten cans of tuna, and that should do it!”  
“How did you fit all of that in your backpack?”  
“Oh, I put a pocket dimension in here- “  
“Forget I asked.”

Standing up after taking the briefest catnap in history, Hobbes turns to Calvin with a disapproving scowl.

“If you think I’m going with you, then you are out of your mind.”  
“Well then, I guess I’m just going to have to eat all this tuna myself then.”

The two stare at each other for several seconds.

Eventually, Hobbes relents.

“One of these days, I’m going to lose my soul because of you. Give me my scarf.”

Obliging, Calvin turns to the portal while Hobbes equips the scarf.

“Ready, Hobbes?”  
“No, but then again, I’ll never be.”  
“Right then, let’s go!

With that, the two step through the portal into this new world, and…

“Hey, what’s that thing coming down from the sky- “

_**BOOM!!!** _

*crash*

“Augh… What was…”

As Calvin and Hobbes get up, they turn to the portal, only to find that 1) the portal was quite a distance from where they landed, 2) key word being “was” as it is no longer there, and 3) a strange-looking hourglass, which is somehow completely unharmed, has landed next to them.

Hobbes glares at Calvin.

“I… uh…”  
“…”  
“Sorry?” Calvin offers meekly.

Hobbes inhales deeply.

END OF CHAPTER 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the first chapter of A Box In Time! It's not much, but I do hope you at least found the premise interesting.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, where Calvin and Hobbes explore Mafia Town and meet a certain pair of mischievous girls...


	2. Welcome To Mafia Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having been stranded in an unfamiliar world, Calvin and Hobbes set out to explore Mafia Town, and along the way run into a pair of peculiar girls...

"- _ **WITH A SACK OF SHARPENED CACTUS BRISTLES!**_ "

With that, Hobbes finally stops screaming, and begins gasping for air.  After their expedition had immediately gone south and they had lost the portal home, Hobbes had words to say to Calvin.  Lots of very loud, and very angry words.

Speaking of Calvin, the boy removes his hands from over his ears and asks "Are... you done?"

Hobbes pants for a few more seconds before responding "Yes.  Yes I am."

" _Finally_ _!_   I thought you were never gonna stop."

Ignoring the glare Hobbes sends his way, Calvin turns to the hourglass that landed with them.  "Now then, what is _this?_ "

Calvin opens his backpack, and removes his Spaceman Spiff goggles.  Actually, they look more like glasses, but he insists on calling them goggles.  Putting them on, Calvin looks closely at the hourglass and taps the side of the goggles.

"Hmm..."  
"What are you doing?"  
"Scanning this mysterious hourglass to see what happened."  
"It destroyed the portal, that's what happened!"  
"Not what I mean.  If this were a normal hourglass, or any normal item for that matter, then it should've just gone through the portal, not destroyed it."

Suddenly, the goggles beep.

"Ah-ha!  Here we go.  Let's see..."

Calvin goes silent for a few seconds.  Getting impatient, Hobbes demands "Well?"

"...well then.  That would explain it."  
" _What_ would explain it?"

Removing the goggles, Calvin says "This hourglass is emitting enormous amounts of temporal energy.  Obviously this energy reacted with the portal and closed it."

"I'm just going to take your word for it." Hobbes says.  Dusting himself off, he says "Not to imply that I have any sort of trust in your judgement, but... what do we do now?"

Calvin sighs.  "The only thing we can do, buddy."

He picks up the hourglass and puts it in his backpack.

"Let's go exploring."

 

* * *

 

 "WHAT DO YA MEAN A TOLL?!"

The duo had climbed not one set of stairs before they encountered one of the natives.  He was wearing a blue suit with a red tie, a white apron which had the words "BUGGER OFF" written on it in red letters, had a bald head, and had a thin mustache on his face.

He was also freaking ENORMOUS.  Easily twice the size of Hobbes.  Naturally, the two were intimidated at first sight, but then the man, who identified himself only as "Mafia", attempted to take the hourglass (which he had seen fall on them) as a "toll" for the mere act of being in Mafia Town.

"Mafia not want to repeat self, little boy.  Hand over hourglass, and Mafia give you no trouble."  
"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!"

Naturally, Calvin was not pleased, and went from scared to angry in a heartbeat.

"WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO JUST TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT FROM RANDOM PASSERBY?!  I DEMAND A LAWYER!  
"Little boy on thin ice- "  
"I'D GET MY DAD, BUT HE'S IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE RIGHT NOW!  WHICH REMINDS ME, I'M NOT EVEN NATIVE TO THIS WORLD!  YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO- "  
"ENOUGH!"

Mafia suddenly punches Calvin, knocking him to the ground.

"Nobody is exempt from Mafia's toll!  Not even inter-dimensional travelers!  Now pay up!"

Before either of them can do anything, Mafia finds himself accosted by an _extremely_ angry Hobbes.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" he screams, clawing at Mafia with wild abandon.  He gets in three good scratches, making a right mess of the man's suit, when suddenly Mafia blocks Hobbes' next attack, and becomes surrounded by a strange red aura.

"Ha!  Mafia have tiger all figured out!" he says, before throwing Hobbes to the ground.

"HOBBES!" yells Calvin, running over to pull the tiger away before Mafia can retaliate.  "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, *cough* I'm fine, just a bruise."

Getting up, Hobbes leaps at Mafia again, only to find that his attacks no longer have any effect on the man.  "Tiger is predictable!" he proclaims, before delivering a punch straight into Hobbes' chest.  Before Hobbes can collide with a nearby wall, Calvin grabs him and pulls him away from Mafia.

"What are you doing? I can still- "  
"No you can't, Hobbes!  We can only run!"  
"Or you could give him the hourglass."  
"And allow this... this _highwayman_ to have his way?!  Never!"

With that, the duo takes off running, leaving Mafia in their dust.

"No fair!  Mafia have tiny legs and huge body!  Mafia not fast!"

He watches them as they round a corner.

"...Mafia now self-conscious about weight."

 

* * *

 

 After a surprisingly short amount of time, Calvin and Hobbes find themselves running up to a yellow crane.

"Up there!  We can use the crane's payload as a platform to get up into the bell tower!"

Sure enough, the crane was positioned in such a way that it's payload could serve as a platform.  Swiftly making their way up to said platform, the two take a look at the gap between them and the tower.

"I don't know, I could probably make that jump, but you couldn't.  No way."  
"Well what else are we gonna do?  Have tea with Mafia and talk out our differences?"  
"Could we?"  
"NO!  Just throw me over."  
" _THROW_ you?!"  
"Yes, throw me!"  
"Last time we tried that, you fell off a cliff and were stuck in bed for a week!"  
"JUST _DO IT!_ "  
"OKAY FINE!"

Hobbes grabs Calvin, runs to the edge of the platform, and heaves him over the gap to the tower.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

* _ **CRASH**_ *

*angry yelling*

Hobbes stares for a moment, thinking that he may have thrown with a bit _too_ much force.  He then realizes that more than one person is yelling, Calvin and...

A girl?

Intrigued, Hobbes leaps over to the tower with ease, and climbs inside to discover a most peculiar sight.  There was Calvin, of course, yelling at the top of his lungs.  In front of him, a young girl, probably about his age, was yelling back.  She was blond, with two pigtails hanging over her shoulders.  She had a red cloak, not unlike the Stupendous Man one, but more red instead of reddish-pink, and also without the mask.  It was also a bit looser, and was pinned together at her neck by a gold token of some kind.  She was wearing a lighter-red dress with a purple sash around her waist, as well as baggy purple pants and mint-green shoes.  Most peculiar of all, though, was that the girl had what appeared to be a _mustache_.  How odd.

There was also another girl in the room, who was standing off to the side and staying out of the argument.  She had brown hair with similar pigtails as well as a ponytail in back.  She had a hood-less yellow cloak kept together with a large zipper tag, and wore a long purple shirt with baggy sleeves, pale baggy pants, and brown boots.  The most defining trait of all, however, was a large purple top hat with a yellow band near the base.

All in all, a rather strange pair of probably friends.  One of which was currently matching Calvin in a screaming contest.

"-IN THE MIDDLE OF-"

"-HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW-"

"-IMPORTANT MISSION, YOU STUPID BOY-

"-YOU SLIMY GIRL-"

"-WHAT DID YOU JUST-"

They seem to be getting on fine.

Shuffling over to the purple girl, Hobbes coughs to get her attention.

"Hi, sorry about my friend there.  He gets like this all the time."  
"Oh, don't worry about it!  Mustache Girl is pretty rude too."

She extends a hand.

"I'm Hat Kid!"  
"Hobbes the Tiger.  Pleased to make your acquaintance."

They shake hands, then look back over at Calvin and Mustache Girl, who are still arguing and show no signs of stopping.  Hobbes and Hat Kid watch for a few minutes before the tiger turns to her and asks "So... do you live here or...?"

"What?  Oh, no no no, I'm an alien!  I'm stranded here until I can fix my ship!  
"Stranded?  That makes two of us."  
"You're an alien too?"  
"Sort of.  You see, Calvin over there made a device..."

END OF CHAPTER 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Chapter 2 comes to a close! Now that our protagonists have all met, we can start moving the plot along!
> 
> Next time in Chapter 3: Calvin, Hobbes and Hat Kid go to the main plaza of Mafia Town, where they hope to find another hourglass...


	3. The Time Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calvin, Hobbes, and Hat Kid go to the main plaza of Mafia Town after Mustache Girl tells them that an hourglass fell there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick side note: it's mentioned in this chapter that Calvin is now older than he was in the original comic strip. To clarify, this takes place about three years after the end of Calvin & Hobbes, making him the same age that Hat Kid and Mustache Girl are in this fic.

After a solid half-hour of yelling, Calvin and Mustache Girl finally stop, and begin gasping for air.

"*pant* *pant* But for the record, your mustache is still stupid."  
"Oh don't you even-!"  
"AHEM!"

The two turn to Hobbes, who steps forward.

"Now that I have your attention, if you two are quite done, then we have things to discuss.  Hat Kid over there-"  
"Hello!"  
"-and I have been talking, and-  
"Wait, her _name_ is Hat Kid? What kind of-"  
" **CALVIN!** "  
"Right, sorry, continue."  
"*sigh* Anyway, both we and Hat Kid are stranded on this planet, with her being from space and us being from another universe."  
"Another universe?" asks Mustache Girl.  
"Yes.  Now, Hat Kid told me that these hourglasses, which are apparently called 'Time Pieces', are-"  
"'Time Pieces'?  Really Hobbes?  They're obviously hourglasses, why wouldn't you just them what they are?"  
"Because that's what Hat Kid says their called, and-"  
"And you're just going to take her word for it?!  What gives her authority on this?!"  
"I _am_ , in fact, taking her word for it, because if the conversation we had while _you_ were busy waking up everyone on the island with Mustachio over there-  
"Hey!"  
"-is anything to go by, then she is a _respectable_ young lady who has no reason to lie about this sort of thing, and as I mentioned, is also trapped here with us!"  
"So?"  
" _So_ , it is in her best interest, as well as ours by the way, to cooperate with potential allies to find a way back home."  
"Well, yeah, but like you said, she's an alien!  She could have any number of hidden agendas and dastardly plots that she could be using us as pawns in!"  
"She is _NINE_ _!_ _"_  
"That never stopped me when I was six, did it?"  
"That is completely unrelated, and you-"  
  
* **SMACK** *  
* **SMACK** *

"OW!" both Calvin and Hobbes say, as Hat Kid smacks them both across the face.

"Stop it, you two!  You're getting off-topic!"

She lightly elbows Hobbes out of the way and continues talking in his stead.

"What Hobbes was _trying_ to say is that the Time Pieces are fuel for my ship, and I need them to get back home!"  
"Okay, but how does that help me and Hobbes?" asks Calvin.  
"I dunno!"

Silence reigns for a few seconds.

"...I'd normally have something demeaning to say to that," says Calvin, "but your unerringly cheerful delivery has quite frankly left me flabbergasted and at a loss for words."  
"So... you won't call me something rude?"  
"I'll get back to you on that.  For now, I'll just ask this: If you don't know if this will help the rest of us, then why should  _we_ help _you_?"  
"Because... it's polite to help people in need!"  
"She's got a point, Calvin."  
"No she-"  
" _And_ ," interjects Mustache Girl, "the Mafia have been trying to get their hands on all the Time Pieces that landed here.  If we get to them first, then that'll _really_ rustle their jimmies!"  
"So we're in agreement then?  We help Hat Kid find the Time Pieces to fix her ship?" asks Hobbes.  
"NO WE ARE NOT!" yells Calvin.  "I DIDN'T AGREE TO ANYTHING!"  
"No, but Hat Kid needs to find the Time Pieces anyway, Mustache Girl wants to mess with the Mafia, and I was going to help anyway because I'm a _considerate_ person."

Hobbes walks up to Calvin and puts a finger on the boys nose.

"In other words, you are outvoted here."

Calvin swats away the finger and attempts to retort.

"I- You- But-"

Unfortunately for him, all that he can think of are petty insults.

"Gr... _FINE_ _!_   I'll help!"  
"Excellent choice."

Hobbes turns to Mustache Girl.

"Now then...  actually, hold on."  
"Hm?"  
"Do you, by any chance, have a name _other_ than Mustache Girl?  No offense, but it's a bit of a mouthful."

Mustache Girl thinks for a few seconds, and then a few more.  She hasn't told anyone her real name in years, but that's mostly because nobody asked, and the Mafia certainly don't care.

Somewhat hesitantly, Mustache Girl answers "...Eileen.  My name is Eileen."

Hobbes claps his hands together and says "Excellent, thank you!  Now then Eileen, Hat Kid told me that you know where another Time Piece is?

 

* * *

 

Several minutes later, Hat Kid, Hobbes, and a reluctant Calvin arrive at the main plaza of Mafia Town.  Eileen told them that a Time Piece had fallen there, so that was where they decided to go to begin their quest.

"Remind me again why Mustachio-"  
"Eileen."  
"- _Mustachio_ isn't coming with?" Calvin asked before their departure.  
"Because I know Mafia Town like the back of my hand.  I can look for more Time Pieces without getting lost like you lot would!"

And so Eileen had gone off in a different direction in search of more Time Pieces, leaving Calvin, Hobbes, and Hat Kid to retrieve the one they already knew about. The Mafia members had given them little trouble on the way there, but Calvin had a slight freakout when he discovered that they all called themselves Mafia.

"*GASP* They must be part of a **HIVE-MIND**!"  
"No little boy, Mafia not part of any hive-mind."  
"STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU DRONES!  YOU WON'T ASSIMILATE **ME**!"

Coaxing him out of his hiding place had greatly extended what should've been a 30-45 second jog to the plaza.

When they finally arrive, they survey the area and rather quickly find what they're looking for.

"There!" Hobbes says, "On the... fountain, I think?"

A Time Piece was indeed sitting on the fountain in the middle of the plaza, or rather, what remained of the fountain.  The Time Piece had landed directly on top of it, smashing it to bits.  Water was still spouting from the remains of the centerpiece, which was really the only indication that it _was_ a fountain at all.

"Okay!" Hat Kid says.  "Let's grab it and go!"

Walking over to the fountain, she picks up the Time Piece and-

 ***SMACK*  
** ***CRASH***

"Huh?" Hat Kid turns around, only to discover that Calvin and Hobbes have been knocked to the ground by one of the Mafia goons!  This one is a bit different from the others though, as he has a rather scratched up suit and seems to be armed with an umbrella, for some reason?

"Mafia finally found little boy and tiger!  Mafia now exact vengeance for ruining Mafia's suit!"

Getting up, Hobbes hisses " _You!_ " and lunges at Mafia, only for that red aura to pop up again and block the attack.

"Mafia immune to tiger's puny attacks!  Just give up, and spare Mafia the trouble!"

While Hobbes attempts to find a way past this annoying aura, Calvin gets up and runs over to the fountain.

"What are you doing?!  Hobbes needs help!" says Hat Kid.  
"And I _will_ help, don't worry, I just need..." Calvin says, rummaging around his backpack until finally, "Here!" he proclaims, pulling out what appeared to be an unfilled balloon.  Opening it, Calvin puts it over the water spout for a few seconds, letting it fill up before he quickly ties it closed to keep the water inside.  "Alright, here I come, Hobbes!"

Getting a running start, Calvin lobs the balloon at Mafia, hitting the man square in the back and soaking what remains of his suit.  Turning to face Calvin, Mafia says "Mafia will deal with little boy in moment- _GAH!_ " but is interrupted by Hobbes batting at his legs, knocking him over.  Hat Kid takes the opportunity to run over and grab the umbrella from the startled man.  Lifting it up, she yells "TAKE THIS!" and then swings it down as hard as she can, slamming it into Mafia's head and knocking him out cold.

Standing over the unconscious man, the trio take a moment to catch their breath.

"Okay," says Hobbes, "we should probably go before his friends decide to exact _their_ vengeance too."  
"Yeah," says Calvin, "that sounds like a great idea, but where exactly _can_ we go?"  
"Well, we could go back to the- "  
"Ooh, we could go to my ship!" interrupts Hat Kid.  "I need to put the Time Pieces we have there anyway!"  
"Um, okay," says Calvin, "where is it landed?"  
Hat kid laughs, grabs onto Calvin and Hobbes, and says "Landed?  No, it's in orbit!  Now hold on tight, you two!"  
"Wait, hang on, what-"

Before Hobbes can finish his question, the trio blast off rather suddenly into space, leaving Mafia Town in their dust.

END OF CHAPTER 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is Chapter 3 done! I'm glad to see that you guys are liking this so far, thank you all so much!
> 
> Next time on "A Box In Time": Hat Kid introduces Calvin and Hobbes to her ship, but they don't have much time to relax...


	4. The Spaceship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hat Kid takes Calvin and Hobbes to her spaceship, but it's not long before trouble arises again planet-side.

"Aaand here we are!"

Closing the hatch behind her, Hat Kid sets down on the floor of her spaceship, depositing Calvin and Hobbes on a nearby pillow.

Calvin and Hobbes, who are currently clinging to each other like their lives depend on it.

Frowning, Hat Kid smacks them both with her newly-acquired umbrella and says "Boys!  You can let go of each other now!  We're here!"

Reluctantly, the two unlatch from one another and slowly open their eyes to take in the room around them, the bridge of the ship, the...

"Is this a living room?"

Indeed it is.  The walls are covered in wood paneling.  The floor is completely carpeted, with a pink circle with a white loop in the center while the rest is green.  There's a yellow console up against the back wall, as well as a yellow television set by one of the four doors in the room, specifically the purple one on the left side.  There is also a second level, reached by a ramp on the left and a ladder in the middle.  Above is what appears to be a longer ladder on the left, a blue set of double doors on the right, and most interestingly of all, a vault and a large screen in the middle.  The screen displays an image of a Time Piece along with a number, presumably to keep track of the current number of Time Pieces in storage.  At the moment, the number is 00.

But by far the most impressive part of the room is the front.  The front wall is a huge glass window with a hatch (and no airlock for some reason) that gives a stunning view of the planet below.  There's also a wooden chair in front of a smaller console, presumably for flying the ship, but nobody cares at the moment.  For now, Calvin and Hobbes just stare in wonder at the Earth for several seconds, before noticing one last detail about the room.

It is _really_ dark in there.

"So, um," Hobbes says, "is it supposed to be this dark?"  
"No, silly!" Hat Kid responds, "There's no power!  But with the Time Pieces, we can fix that!"

Motioning to Calvin, she asks "Could you give me yours please?"

Calvin takes off his backpack and rummages around in it, then pulls out the Time Piece that hit him and Hobbes earlier.  Hat Kid takes it and goes up the ladder to the vault.  She opens it, then takes the other Time Piece out of her hat.  She then tosses both Time Pieces into the vault and shuts it tight.  The large screen next to the vault changes from saying 00 to 02, and with that the entire room suddenly lights up, indicating that power has been restored.

Jumping back down to the lower lever, Hat Kid says "Okay, the bridge has power now!"

"So, does that mean you can go home?" asks Calvin.  
Hat Kid shakes her head and says "Nope.  I need at least 25 Time Pieces to get all the way home!"  
"I see... and how many did you have when you came to Earth?"  
"Um..."

Hat Kid thinks for a moment.

"...45!  I had 45 with me!"  
"Isn't that a bit overkill if you only need 25?"  
"Well, maybe, but I didn't start out with those 45!  I got them from the planet I was returning from before reaching Earth!"

Hobbes starts to speak, but Hat Kid starts to clarify before he can do so.

"See, I started at my home planet with 50 Time Pieces, used up all of those to get to the other planet, where I found 70 more, and then I used up 25 of those to get to Earth, leaving me with 45 total!"  
"Better mathematician than you, Calvin." Hobbes quips.  
Choosing to ignore that insult, Calvin says "Okay, but why would you go to all that trouble just to end up with _less_ Time Pieces than you already had?  It doesn't make sense!"  
"It's not that I want more, it's that I have to make sure nobody misuses them!"  
"Why?  What could someone- "

Before Calvin can continue, the three of them suddenly notice something out of the corners of their eyes, and turn to look.  A glass bottle is floating in front of the window, and seems to have something inside of it.  Intrigued, Hat Kid goes over to the hatch, opens it, grabs the bottle, and opens that.

"So are we just going to gloss over how we aren't asphyxiating from exposure to the vacuum of space?"

Hat Kid pulls out the contents of the bottle, which turns out to be a rolled-up sheet of paper.

"Okay, I guess we are."

Calvin and Hobbes walk over to Hat Kid and read the paper along with her.  It says, in bright red letters:

 

**HELP**

**MAFIA COMING**

**CORNERED**

**PECKING HELP!**

"'Pecking'?" Calvin says, "Why 'Pecking'?  What does it mean?"  
"Judging from it's usage, I'd say it's a- "

***SMACK***

"We don't have time!" Hat Kid says, "Eileen's in trouble!"  
"But we've only been gone for a few minutes!" Calvin responds.  
"Doesn't matter!  We have to go and save her!"

Before either Calvin or Hobbes can say anything further, Hat Kid grabs them both and leaps out the hatch to the planet below, ignoring the pair's screams of terror.

 

* * *

 

The trio hadn't even landed yet when they saw the problem.   In the plaza that makes up the south-eastern quarter of the island, a large pile of stacked barrels had been assembled, and on top of the pile was a Mafia goon holding Eileen hostage.  Landing at the docks, the three dash to the plaza to save her.  Upon arrival, they stop, and Hobbes sees who the head goon is.

"You _again_?!" he exclaims.

It's the same goon that attacked them in the main plaza and when they first arrived.  By now he's rather worse for wear, his suit and apron in tatters and a sizable bruise on his forehead.

"Yes, me again!" Mafia replies.  "Mafia has had **enough** of tiger and little children's antics!  Now Mafia deal with you for good!"

He gestures to the other goons in the area, and they begin to home in on the trio.

"Mafia!  **_ATTACK!_** "

END OF CHAPTER 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time, but that's because I want to make the barrel battle it's own thing. Also it's been a while since the last chapter, so I wanted to get something out.
> 
> *also for some reason it says that this chapter came out on the 15th even though it's the 18th, I don't know why*
> 
> Next time: Our heroes must fight for their lives and the freedom of Eileen against an enemy that just won't go down!


	5. Barrel Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Eileen being held captive, it's up to Calvin, Hobbes, and Hat Kid to save her from the Mafia.

"Mafia!  _**ATTACK!**_ "

At Mafia's command, three other goons begin to converge on the trio.  Hobbes lunges at one and begins scratching away, Hat Kid pulls out her umbrella and starts smacking another, and Calvin...

Calvin suddenly realizes that he probably should've packed a baseball bat or something.  Oh well, he can improvise.  Pulling the Calvinball out of his backpack, he chucks it at the last goon, catches it as it bounces off, and throws again.  This continues for a minute, but soon enough, after three hits each, the goons all acquire a red aura, and the trio's attacks stop having any effect.  Emboldened, the goons begin to back the trio into a corner.

"This is bad!" Hobbes says, "They become invincible after three hits!"  
"Come on, buddy, it's not hopeless!" Calvin replies, "We beat the other guy before, so they must have _some_ kind of weakness!"  
"Yeah, but what?" Hat Kid asks.

 _(Let's see)_ Calvin thinks, _(what did we do differently the second time?)_

"Calvin, hurry up!  We're running out of space!" Hobbes says.  The goons are closing in, and they don't have much time left.

_(Three hits activates the aura, and after that they can't be hit, but then how did Hat Kid knock out the first guy before...?)_

Calvin's head suddenly snaps up, and he chucks the Calvinball one more time, aiming at his goon's head.  Rather than just bouncing off harmlessly, it slams into the man and knocks him to the ground, the aura fading as he falls.

"That's it!" Calvin exclaims, "Their head is their weakness!"

Hobbes and Hat Kid nod in acknowledgment, and then leap at their goons.  Hobbes clasps his hands together and brings them down on his goon's head, and Hat Kid whaps her goon's head with the umbrella, and both men fall, their aura's fading.

Seeing his minions defeated, Mafia's eye twitches in anger.  He tosses Eileen, who he had been keeping bound and gagged, off to the side and proclaims "Mafia see that children not go down so easily!  Mafia dispose of meddlesome children himself!"

With that, he hops down a level on the pile and grabs a barrel.  "Take THIS!" he shouts, and then he throws the barrel at the trio.  They dodge easily, but before they can do anything more, Mafia suddenly pulls a red golf cap of some sort out of his apron's pocket and puts it on.  He then starts grabbing and throwing more barrels in rapid succession, at a much faster speed than he should be physically capable of.

"What on Earth- " Calvin says as he dodges another barrel, " -is _that?_   That's cheating!"  
"Little children cheat as well, so Mafia learned and improved!" Mafia replies, "This is the _SPRINT HAT!_   Nut-job Mafia named Johnson created it to enhance his speed, so Mafia 'borrowed' hat from Johnson to defeat you!"  
"I'd say that's not fair," Hobbes says, "But yeah, we do cheat, don't we?"  
"Not the time, boys!" Hat Kid says, jumping over a barrel, "We have to get rid of these barrels somehow!"

Calvin ducks under a bouncing barrel and says "I've got just the thing!"  He pulls what appears to be a water gun out of his backpack, aims it at an incoming barrel, and pulls the trigger.  With a loud * **ZAP** * the barrel suddenly turns into a giant marshmallow, which Hobbes knocks away with ease.  Mafia's eyes widen in shock, and he says "W- **WHAAAT**?!  What is this trickery?!  What did little boy do?!"

"This, Mafia, is the Transmogrifier Gun!  It can transform anything into anything with just a thought!" Calvin replies with a grin on his face.  He then starts zapping more barrels, creating more marshmallows, and Mafia finds himself running out of ammunition.

 

* * *

 

While nobody is looking, a stray marshmallow collides with Eileen, and her eyes start to open...

 

* * *

 

" **ENOUGH!** " Mafia declares, "Obviously barrels not work on little children!"  He takes off the Sprint Hat and puts it back in the apron, then pulls out a bucket with two holes in it and puts it on as a helmet.  "Mafia now deal with you **MAFIA STYLE!** "

He charges at the trio at normal speed, who leap out of the way.  Hat Kid whacks Mafia's head with the umbrella, but the bucket helmet protects the man's noggin from injury.  He swipes at Hat Kid, knocking her into Calvin and sending them sprawling across the ground.  Hobbes snarls, leaps on top of Mafia, and then tries to take off the bucket to little success, as Mafia holds his makeshift armor in place with his currently invincible hands.  The man then realizes that he can use just one hand to hold the bucket in place, and uses the other to grab Hobbes and throw him to the ground.

"Ha!" Mafia laughs, then says "Mafia defeated little boy and little girl, Mafia knew Mafia would defeat tiger!"  He raises his other fist, says "Now you pay price for crossing **MAFIA!** " and moves to sock Hobbes square in the jaw-

"HIYA!"  
"Wha-"

*WHOOSH*

*THUD*

Eileen, having wiggled her way out of her binding, leaps over Mafia, grabs the bucket, and yanks it off, tumbling to the ground with the makeshift helmet.

"Hobbes!" she says, " **NOW!** "

Hobbes rolls into a crouching position, springs up at Mafia and-

 _***** _ _**POW!** _ _***** _

-decks the man clean in the jaw, sending him flying and sprawling flat on his back, knocking him unconscious.

 

* * *

 

After Calvin and Hat Kid wake up, the four stand over the defeated Mafia's sleeping body.

"So..." Hobbes begins, "What do we do with him?"  
"I say we toss 'em in the ocean, let the sharks decide his fate!" Eileen says with a slightly evil grin on her face.  
"I second this motion!" Calvin says excitedly, "I've never thrown someone to the sharks before!"  
"Sounds fun!  Let's do it!" Hat Kid says.  
"I- **HOLD ON A MINUTE!** " Hobbes yells, "We can't just leave this man for _dead!_ "  
"Says who, Hobbes?" Calvin asks, "I'm in favor, and Eileen's in favor, and Hat Kid's in favor..."

He leans forward to meet Hobbes face.

"In other words, you are outvoted here."

"I- but- he- we can't-" Hobbes fumbles for a retort, but cannot seem to find one.

"Gr... FINE!  We'll throw him to the sharks like the _barbarians_ we apparently are!"

Feeling smug, Calvin turns to Eileen and Hat Kid and says "Alright then!  Let's get this guy moving!"

Turning to Mafia, he then says "But first..."  He reaches into the man's apron and pulls out the Sprint Hat.  "I'm claiming this as the spoils of war!

 

* * *

 

Several minutes later, the four watch as Mafia floats on the water below.

"So Calvin," Hat Kid suddenly says, "You had that Transmogrifier Gun this whole time, right?"  
"Uh, yeah, why?"  
"Well then why didn't you use it until now?"

They sit in silence for several seconds.

"I... uh..."  
"..."  
"Sorry?" Calvin offers meekly.

Hobbes and Eileen glare at him and inhale deeply.

END OF CHAPTER 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the first boss battle comes to a close and Calvin gets a new hat! This is the first time I've ever written an action scene like this, so I'd very much appreciate knowing what you all thought of it!
> 
> Also, if you're wondering why they didn't get a Time Piece after beating Mafia, it's because the Time Piece that Hat Kid would've gotten from this fight is the one that crashed into Calvin and Hobbes in the first chapter.
> 
> Next time in Chapter 6: With our heroes reunited, they must decide what to do next.


	6. With Friends Like These

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long day, it's time for our heroes to get some well-deserved rest. Before they do though, Calvin and Hobbes have a conversation.

Half an hour later, Calvin and Hobbes stand in the spaceship, looking out the main window to the planet below.

"It's beautiful," Hobbes says, "looks even prettier than our Earth does."  
"Really?" Calvin asks, "How can you tell?"  
"We got a pretty good look at our Earth that one time we went to Mars in the wagon."  
"Oh yeah, _that_ little escapade.  I still can't believe you didn't pack the camera."  
"Says the one who only packed candy bars and tuna as food."  
"*chuckle* Yeah, that was stupid of me.  Thankfully I actually packed more this time."  
"Just some apples and more tuna, if I recall."  
"Well _excuse_ me for not realizing we'd be stuck here!  I thought we'd have gone home by now!"

Silence reigns for several seconds as the magnitude of that statement sinks in.

"...Calvin..."  
"...Yeah?"  
"We're never getting home, are we?"  
"What- Don't say that!  There's gotta be _some_ way to open another portal!"  
"Without the cardboard box?"  
"I turned the Transmogrifier into a gun, right?  Of course I can turn the Portalizer into one too!"  After a moment, he follows up with "Besides, Mom will kill us if we don't get home for dinner."  
"First of all, Mom will kill _you_ , she's _your_ mother.  Second, she can't cross dimensions through sheer anger."  
"I wouldn't put it past her.  Or Dad, for that matter."  
"Yes, that rant after the Stupendous Man incident at school _was_ most likely sending out shock-waves across the fabric of space-time."  
"It was, wasn't it? *chuckle* Oh man, he he really laid into me that time.  I'm surprised I still have working ears."  
"I'm surprised you still have ears at all."

They laugh at this for a moment.

"But seriously, _are_ we stuck here for good?"

Calvin looks into Hobbes eyes and puts a hand on the tiger's shoulder.

"Hobbes.  We _will_ get back, I promise.  It might take a while.  It might take a long while.  But we _will_ find a way home, I swear."

Before they can continue further, a loud scream of "HOLY PECK" erupts from the kitchen, which apparently had gained power along with the bridge.  Before the two can even finish processing that the voice belongs to Eileen, another scream goes out, "WHAT EVEN IS THIS REFRIGERATOR?!  WHAT EVEN IS ANY OF THIS JUNK?! _**WHY DOES THAT PASTA HAVE EYEBALLS IN IT?!** "_

Calvin and Hobbes stand stunned for a second, before Calvin says "Well, at least we're not alone while we're here."

Hobbes chuckles, and says "Yeah, with friends like these, you can never really be lonely."

With that, the duo head off to the kitchen to see what terrors their new friends seem to have uncovered in Hat Kid's refrigerator.

END OF CHAPTER 6

 

ACT 1 COMPLETE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that (admittedly quite short) chapter, Act 1 of "A Box In Time" is over! Yes, this fic will be split into Acts, each one ending with a major event like a boss battle. I feel I should mention something: The next chapter will NOT immediately go to the fight with Mafia Boss. Instead, I'm going to be covering all but one of the other levels in Mafia Town before we get to that, because I want some more time for all four of our main characters to interact together.
> 
> Next time in Chapter 7: It's the middle of the night, but Hat Kid can't sleep. She goes down to Mafia Town for a midnight stroll, but runs into a very peculiar Mafia goon...


	7. She Came From Outer Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not being able to sleep, Hat Kid and Calvin take a midnight stroll in Mafia Town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. It's certainly been a while, hasn't it?
> 
> Folks, I apologize for the lack of chapters since Act 1 ended. Things like school and as of late Drivers Ed have been taking up most of my time, and when they haven't then I'm doing something else or nothing at all. Unfortunately I cannot say that I'm continuing work on this fic. This may sound selfish, but I've just kinda... lost interest since last chapter. I know how I want the story to go but I just can't work up the will to actually write it. As such, I am putting "A Box In Time" on indefinite hiatus. I apologize for the disappointing news, but I didn't want to leave you all in the dark about what was happening.
> 
> However, I would like to make one thing clear: I fully intend on finishing this fic at some point in the future. I don't know when that will be, but it will happen, I promise.
> 
> In the meantime, here is the currently final chapter of "A Box In Time" as a parting gift. And before I forget, thank you to everyone who's read the fic thus far, everyone whose left kudos, and everyone who has commented. I know it's cliche, but it really does mean a lot to me. So, in conclusion, thank you all so very much, and I hope to see you again when the fic returns!

It's a stormy midnight in Mafia Town, with the setting of the sun and the coming of the rain the island's inhabitants have all gone home to sleep out the night.

All but one of them, that is.

On the roof of an unfinished building, probably supposed to be a warehouse of some kind, a lone Mafia goon is pacing back and forth while muttering to himself.  Unlike the other goons, this one in particular is rather... odd, shall we say.  He has no apron, has his suit jacket open, wears a plaid yellow and red undershirt, a bowtie with red and white stripes, and most telling of his irregularity of all, green goggles with light-blue swirls on the lenses.

If you couldn't tell, this guy is rather off in the head, to say the least.

This goon wasn't alone, although he didn't know it.  On a nearby rooftop, Hat Kid and Calvin were watching him with great interest.  The two were both wearing yellow raincoats over their normal outfits, but only Calvin had a hood and goggles to go with his.  Hat Kid just stuck with her trademark hat for head protection.  The pair were having trouble sleeping that night, so they had decided to take a midnight stroll to wind down and maybe get a better lay of the land while they were at it, however this oddball goon had caught their attention, given that everyone else was indoors to wait out the storm.  After a minute of observation, the two hide behind a chimney to avoid detection.

"I couldn't hear a thing he was saying.  Could you?"  
"Nope, the rain's way too loud to hear him.""Actually, I think I heard him say something about aliens invading.  Might've been my imagination though-"

At that exact moment, the oddball goon screamed to the heavens.

_"THEY ALL CALL ME MAD, BUT I KNOW IT IS TRUE!  THE ALIEN INVASION HAS COME TO KILL US ALL!!!"_

Hat Kid and Calvin sit in silence for a moment.

"...Hey."  
"...Yeah?"  
"I just had a _wonderful idea_."

An evil grin spreads across Calvin's face as he says this, but before Hat Kid can question his intent, he opens his coat and pulls a second pair of goggles out of one of the inside pockets.

"Put this on.  This is going to be _amazing!_ _"_

* * *

As it happens, this goofy goon has an actual name, that being Johnson.  You may remember him from when that one persistent goon stole the Sprint Hat from him for the final confrontation with our heroes.  Johnson isn't actually aware that Mafia stole his hat, being rather preoccupied with worrying about an impeding alien invasion that he so thoroughly believes is coming.  In the midst of his rambling, he hears what sound like footsteps coming from behind him.  Slow, heavy footsteps...

"Oh no, aliens are coming for Mafia!  I can see spaceship behind clouds!  Muddy gloop monsters will come to take me away!

As the footsteps get closer and then stop directly behind him, Johnson slowly turns around and sees that he wasn't far off with that assessment.  Two child-sized creatures, one wearing what appears to be a top hat, both covered head to toe in mud.  But most frighteningly of all, their eyes... _their EYES!_   Their eyes glow with an evil white light, piercing through the otherwise opaque mud!  Two terrifyingly real aliens, standing with theirs arms outstretched in front of them!  In front of _HIM!_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Screaming in terror, Johnson turns around and _sprints_ towards the edge of the roof, leaping off of it and onto the floating wooden platform that was definitely there this entire time and not just this specific night.  Ha!  They may be aliens, but they won't be able to get over here with their stubby little legs-

*hop*

*hop*

_Ohgoodgodtheyleptoveranyway_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Tripping over himself in fright, Johnson scrambles over to and then on top of some nearby crates.  He watches as the aliens shamble over to said crates, and try to climb them.  But alas for them, their muddy arms cannot get a proper grip!  They cannot get up!  Little aliens aren't so frightening _now_ , are th-

*scuttle*

*hop*

why are they jumping onto those pipes

*hop*

why is there scaffolding leading directly to Johnson

*scuttle scuttle _scuttle_ *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Alright _so_ , that isn't going to work at all either!  Johnson hurriedly turns towards another floating platform, this one a large banner held up by balloons, and leaps over to it, this time with more force than the first leap due to the banner being further away than the wood platform.  With any luck, _this_ gap will prove too great for them to cross!

*scuttle*

...

They-

They aren't coming over!  They _can't_ come over!  Yes!  Johnson is FREE-

* _scuttle_ *

* _hop_ *

* ** _hop_** *

*dive*

Di- Did that thing just _double jump-_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Okay, at least it's only one of them this time!  The other, non-hatted one has been left behind by its companion!  Still, this leaves one final option for escape...  Johnson turns around again, leaps to another platform, this one with two tall scaffolds on it with solid wood walls between them.  Stopping directly between the walls, Johnson jumps up onto one, and then over to the other, and then back to the first, rinse and repeat until he has successfully reached the top of the scaffolding.  He then leaps over to a final floating platform, this one decorated with flowers for some reason.  With that, Johnson turns to the hatted alien a ways away.  With any luck, it _won't_ know how to wall jump...?

*scuttle*

*hop*

*scuttle*

*hop*

*hop*

* _hop_ *

* _hop_ *

* _scuttle_ *

* _hop_ *

* _hop_ *

*dive*

*hop*

*scuttle*

...Aaaaand nope, Johnson is officially done.  With nowhere left to go, he falls to his knees and does the only thing he can think to do.

Beg.

"Leave Mafia alone, you monster!  Please, if- if- if I give you this glowing hourglass I found, will you leave me alone?!"

The alien tilts its head.  The hourglass!  That must be it!  Johnson quickly forages around the interior pockets of his suit and pulls out the shiny hourglass he found on the beach yesterday.  The alien immediately reaches out and takes it, and...

...walks away!  _YES!_   Johnson can live another day!  Oh, the other Mafia aren't going to _believe_ this!

They don't believe anything Johnson says anyway, but...

* * *

A few minutes later, Hat Kid and Calvin set down in the bridge/living room of the spaceship.  They wipe their faces mostly clean and grin at each other.

"Holy crap, that was awesome!"  
"It was!  You were absolutely right, seeing him flipping out like that was _so_ funny!"  
"Ha ha!  How did you do that double-jump thing, though?  That was so cool!"

*AHEM*

The two turn to Hobbes and Eileen, the former sighing and facepalming, and the latter staring in disbelief at the mud-soaked duo before her.

"What the _dickens_ were you two doing this late at night?!"

Hat Kid and Calvin look at each other in silence briefly, and then turn to Eileen.  Before they can say anything though, Hobbes speaks up.

"Eileen, just... _don't._   I've learned not to question his antics too much, although if he's gotten sweet innocent Hat Kid roped up in them too..."  
" _Innocent?!_   Hobbes, you should've _seen_ her down there!  It was wild!"  
"I really don't want to know..."

The duo were then forced to clean off before they took even one more step into the ship.  No mud was going to be tracked on the carpet on Hobbes' watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt a more lighthearted chapter would serve as a good intermission between Acts 1 and 2, as well as a good stopping point until further notice. Again, I am so sorry that I'm not continuing the story, but my former enthusiasm for it just isn't there anymore. Rest assured though, "A Box In Time" *will* come back at some point, no matter how long it takes.
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and see you next time!


End file.
